Bus 657 – Heist (2015)

Directed by: Scott Mann | 93 minutes | action, crime | Actors: Robert De Niro, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Dave Bautista, Kate Bosworth, Gina Carano, Morris Chestnut, Lydia Hull, Mark-Paul Gosselaar, Stephen C. Sepher, DW Sweeney, Tyler Jon Olson, Alyssa Julya Smith, Hawn Tran, Christopher Rob Bowen, Renell Gibbs

In 2015, ‘Bus 657’ was released in America under the name ‘Heist’. In Europe they try it with the name ‘Bus 657’. Perhaps this production by Scott Mann will do better on the European market? However, the chance is not that great, because this is a not so good or special film. What is remarkable is that the biggest crowd puller of this movie is especially Dave Bautista. The wall-to-wall wrestler is a reason for more people to visit the cinema these days than the presence of Robert De Niro. It can go wrong!

In ‘Bus 657′, a father (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) has to pay for the medical treatment of his ailing daughter. Unfortunately for Palief, he does not have the requested amount of money. At his wits’ end, he decides to rob the casino with the help of a colleague. The duo hijack a bus full of hostages, but things don’t go as planned. The local mob boss (De Niro) is after them.

Well. Where to start? This uninspired film ‘borrows’ elements from ‘Speed’ and just about every ‘heist film’ out there. In addition, the presence of De Niro is again a very painful affair. This man was once considered a stamp of quality. A movie with this man in it was actually always good. In the 80s and early 90s, the De Niro brand was untouchable. Unfortunately, things went horribly wrong at the end of the 90s and in 2019 this actor symbolizes the big grab. He takes everything. This movie isn’t the worst thing De Niro has ever made – ‘Dirty Grandpa’ has that proud honor – but you can’t call his contribution good either.

Dean Morgan is not bad, but could certainly be better and the same goes for Bautista. It is to Mann’s credit that he has shot his unoriginal bread film with great speed. The pace is fast, so that boredom does not set in. So it looks nice. But as a filmmaker, your ambitions must be higher than to watch a ‘nicely looking away film’. This production lacks a face of its own. You’ve seen this kind of action thriller many times before and in better versions. so why would you watch this?